Safety-crank



B. T- FARLEY.

' SAFETY CRANK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 25,1911- 1,308 ,7O 1 Patented July 1, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

gwumkoi B. T. FARLEY.

SAFETY CRANK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 25. I917- 1,308,701 Patented July 1, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

gwuentoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERT ,T. FARLEY, OF PARIS, TEXAS.

SAFETY-CRANK.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, BERT T. FARLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paris, in the county of Lamar and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-Cranks, of which the following is a specification.

.As an improved crank for .starting auto vehicle engines and the like, the invention seeks to provide, as its principal aim and object, a device of this character capable of effectively imparting the necessary forward movement to an engine for starting, but having means conjoined with it, whereby it will be automatically released from positive engagement with the starting shaft on any retrograde movement of the engine.

A further object seeks to provide adevice of this kind which will contain within itself substantially all of the mechanism necessary to effect its release from positive engagement with the starting shaft.

A. still further object is to provide a device 'of this nature capable of performing the aforesaid.functions and which will not present an ungainly appearancewhen employed as a starting means for auto vehicle englnes. A still further object is to provide a device of this kind which may be readily at,- tached to various makes of automobiles Without requiring any modifications in itself or inthe machine to which it is attached.

.7 Other and further objects will appear as the device is set forth in detail in the description which follows. a o

y In illustrating the device a specific form of construction has been adhered to but the invention is not to be limited to this specific form. The demands of practice may suggest certain desirable changes or alterations and these the right is claimedto make, pro- "vided they do not depart fromthe spirit of the appended claims. 7 I

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the front of an automobile vehicle frame, showing the engine of the vehicle, and the invention ap:

' plied as a starting member for the engine.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the structure of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4: is a view'similar to Fig. 3, but diff fers therefrom in showing the positions as 1 retrograde movement of the engine,

sumecl'by the attendant parts as aresult of Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 1y 1, 1919,

Application filed September 25, 1917. Serial No. 193,163.

Fig. 5'is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 3

Fig. 6 is a section Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is a section Fig. 5,

Fig. 8 is a section Fig. 3,

Fig. 9 is a section Fig. 2. I In the drawings, 1 is the engine of an automoblle which engine has the shaft 2 on the end of which a clutch member 3 is mounted. In the center of the transverse portlon 4 of the vehicle frame the starting shaft 5 is journaled and this shaft carries, on that end which faces the engine shaft 2, a clutch member 6 which is adapted to engage the clutch member 3. The starting shaft 5 projects beyond the transverse pori31011 4: 0f the vehicle frame and on this proectlng end is a spiral compression spring 7 which is compressed between the inner face of the arm 8 and the front face of the portion 4 of the frame, this spring tending normally to keep the two clutch members 3 and 6 separated. With the exception of the arm. 8, all of these parts just described are of conventional design and like those usually found attached to auto vehicles for initially starting the engine.

The arm 8 is rigidly attached to the starting shaft 5 near the free end of the latter "but this shaft projects far enough through the arm to permit the crank 9 to be mounted upon this end, the crank 9 loosely engaging the shaft at the point where it is connected to the latter and being prevented from moving in the direction of the length of the shaft by the cotter pin 10. That part of the shaft 5 on which the arm 8 and crank 9 are mounted is reduced in diameter slightly under that of the body of the shaft, thus leaving a shoulder against which the inner face of the arm 8 lies.

At the free end of the crank 9' and on the inner face thereof, there is mounted a block 11.

This block is pivotally supported on a pin 12 whose position is to one side of and near the lower end of the block. On

that face which adjoins the crank 9, a refixed. in t 6 crank 9| The spring ll. tends normally to draw the block 11 over on is pivotal connection until the top of the recessed portion 13 abuts the spring 15 which precludes further pivotal movement of the block on that side of its pivotal connection. This block, however, is permitted to move in the other direction on its pivotal connec-- tion against. the tension of the spring 14. A slot 16 is formed'in the block 11' and opens at the upper end of the block. A pawl 17 is pivotally mounted within this slot 16 and is supported on a pin 18 which is inserted transversely through the block. The lower back end of the slot 16 is diagonally inclined and the tail 20 of the pawl lies in this inclined portion when the pawl is in its normal position, this pawl contacting with this inclined portion to limit the pawl to movement only on one side of its pivotal connection. A spring 21 attached between the tail 20 of the pawl and the front lower end of the slot 16 serves to hold the pawl in its normal position, but permits it to move yieldingly on its pivotal connection. In its normal position, the edge 22 of the pawl lies parallel with the front edge of the block 11 but the edge 23 inclines toward the top end of the block 11. i

A lever 24 is pivotally mounted on the inner face of the crank 9, this pivotal connection being aflorded by a pin 25 by which the lever is carried. A second pin. 26 is fixed in the crank 9 on its inner face and is adapted to abut one longitudinal edge of the lever 24. This pin 26 limits the lever 24 to movement on one side of its pivotal connection only. The lever 24 is a connecting link between the arm 8 and the block 11, the former having a recess 27 formed in its end with which the rounded end 28 of the lever engages and the latter having a pro- ,of clamping members 34 and 35 and nuts 36 which screw on the threaded ends 37 of the tripping studs. The body portions of the tripping studs are of slightly larger diameter than the threaded portions 37 thus forming shoulders which abut the clampingmembers 34, the nuts mentioned abutting the clamping members 35 so that each pair are tightly held against the o posit-e sides of the transverse portion 4 of tie frame, thus securing the tripping studs 33 securely in position on the frame.

In operating the device, it is utilized-to s'tart'an engine with which it is connected in the same way that the conventional starting crank is employed. The clutch members 3 and 6 are made to engage each other,

' the spring 7 being compressed in effecting this engagement. With the arm 8, the crank 9-and their attendant connecting parts in normal positions, as shown in Fig. 2, the crank 9 is positively connected with the arm 8 and with the starting shaft 5, since the recess 27 in the arm is engaged by the rounded end 28 of the lever and the projection 29 on the pawl is engaged by the projection 30 on the lever.. The crank is thus prevented from moving away from the arm 8 on one side because the lever '24 is precluded from turning movement on the one side by the pin 26. The crank is prevented from moving away from the arm 8 on the otherside because the lever 24 is prevented from movement to its other side by the engagement of the projections 29 and 30, the block 11 being prevented, by the pin 15, from such movement as would allow the lever 24 to move the block. The crank being thus turned to start the engine, the inclined edge 23 of the pawl contacts with and ratchets over the tripping studs 33, since the spring 29 permits the pawl to yield on its pivotal connection. In the event of retrograde movement of the engine, such as would result from back firing, the clutch member 3 will tend to turn the clutch member 6 and the starting shaft '5 in the direction of this retrograde movement. The straight edge 22 of the pawl will then fcontact with one of the tripping studs 33 and rock the block 11 on its pin 12" (since the pawl is prevented by .itstail 20 from movement in the direction which contact with its straight edge 22 would tend to move it), thus raising the projection 29 out of the way of the projection- 30 on the lever. The continued retrograde movement of the engine willthen carry the arm 8 in the direction of such movement and will result in this arm rocking the lever 24 on its pin 25, since the rocking of the block disengages the projections 29 and 30 and permits the lever 24 to be moved in a direction away from the pin 26. When the arm 8 becomes disconnected from the lever 24 the crank 9 is released from positive engagement therewith and retrograde movement of the engine may continue without movement of the crank, since the crank is only loosely connected with the starting shaft 5 and is positively engaged therewith only when the arm 8, the lever 24 and the block 11 are in their normal positions.

The positions assumed by the various parts when the crank is disengaged fromfthe arm are clearly shown in Fig.

A spring 38 which is attached on the inner face of the crank Qand lies below the lever 24 frictionally engagesthe latter and pre back into connection with the block without the necessity of having to turn the block to effect the reengagement of the projections 29 and 30. Of course, before efiectin the reengagement of the. lever and the block having tripping operation, it is necessary that the crank 9 be so positioned with respect to the arm 8 that the rounded end 28 of the lever will engage the recess 27 in the arm at the same time that engagement is beiig effected between the projections 29 an 30.

What is claimed as new is 2-- 1. A safety cranking device comprising an arm adapted for rigid attachment to the starting shaft of an auto vehicle engine, a crank adapted for loose attachment to said shaft, members having means for attachment to the frame of an auto vehicle, a block pivotally mounted on the crank, means connecting the block and the arm, so that the block is permitted pivotal movement, in one direction only, and a device which contacts with the aforesaid members, whereby the crank is positively secured to the arm to turn the engine forward but is released therefrom on any retrograde movement of the engine.

2. A safety cranking device comprising an arm adapted for rigid attachment to the starting shaft of an auto vehicle engine, a crank adapted for loose attachment to said shaft, a block pivotally mounted on the crank but precluded from movement except in one direction, a pawl pivotally mounted in the block, but having movement only in the direction opposite to that in which the block moves, resilient members for holding the block and pawl in their normal positions, a lever pivotally mounted on the crank and limited to movement in one direction, the arm, the block and the lever having interconnecting ends, whereby the crank is positively connected to the arm, and studs having means for connection to the frame of an auto vehicle, these studs cooperating with the pawl aforesaid to release the crank from the arm on any retrograde movement of the engine.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' BERT T. FARLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. 0. 

